Baby on the Sidewalk
Note: this is a true story of a divorced woman I talked to, who I saw everyday at a sidewalk. I wrote this story from her kid’s perspective.
Under the scorching sun and bearable heat laid, a kid around 3 years, 5 months, and 10 days. He gazed at the sky as he looked up, lying on the road with his head on his mothers’ scarf. He turned right to see if his mother was still there. And there she was; in a black veil selling flower bracelets, commonly known as ghajras, rather trying to sell them and failing miserably. He turned and looked up at the sky again. But it wasn’t the sky, it was leaves on the tree branches blocking the sun rays and the sun rays piercing in every time the wind blew. He liked it when the leaves fell during summer. As he turned left to trace the leaves falling, he saw his mother pacing towards a white car wherein he could see hand waving. As soon as his mother pointed out the mask in the hands’ direction, the car drove and he could hear laughter. Laughter is contagious before he realized he was smiling. As his mother approached closer, he smiled at her. She smiled back but her eyes were red. He got distracted as he felt water droplets on his face and excited as the leaves continued falling on him. Before he knew it, he was in the air being tossed to his grandfather and the three of them sat on his bike. He giggled on the way feeling jerks and bumps throughout the ride until the bike stopped and they had to walk for the remaining 15 minutes up to their cottage. He woke up to his mothers’ cries and turned to look at his grandfather sitting on his side patting him to sleep. His mother had been crying more than usual these days and each time she did, it was usually when his grandfather would take out something he liked, such as his old watch, shoes, and come back with little money and a carton of milk. This time was different, it was his mother’s oldest earrings.
Trust me, it won’t hurt your finances to lend some money even if it’s not spare change, it can be 50 or 100, shouldn’t necessarily be a 10 or a 20. If you don’t have spare change and don’t want those dull flowers either, just handout any food item you have but have it in you to donate. Why don’t you try going to your workplace without any money in an empty stomach and not ask any friend for money or share their meal unless they offer it to you. it is then when you’ll feel the difference one action can make. We have it in us to want to make an impact, be remembered, mark a change, but we want it to be huge. Helping one person IS huge, it’s making a difference in one’s life and in this scenario, it is helping a HOUSEHOLD. You can’t make a difference if you aren’t a giver, be it of your time, affection, money or knowledge.
